OVERNIGHT. Music.

Russian Violinist Follows Tradition

January 22, 1993|By John von Rhein, Music critic.

One would hesitate to guess what attracts so many Russian violinists to the Sibelius Violin Concerto, but a keen identification with its spiritual qualities as much as with its heady bravura content must be high on the list. Heifetz and Oistrakh played it inimitably. And of the present crop of fiddle players, Kremer and Mullova are advocates worthy of mention.

To that distinguished list of violinists must now be added the name of Maxim Vengerov.

His performance of the Sibelius on Thursday night with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim was another reminder of how many talented young Russian-born, Russian-trained violinists have immigrated to the West in the era of glasnost. Vengerov, an 18-year-old former prodigy who now resides in Tel Aviv, first served notice of his colossal talent at Orchestra Hall in 1991 when he appeared with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. But his Sibelius told us that a deeper and more profound expressivity has entered his playing.

Bravura, warmth, intensity, lyrical tenderness-Vengerov had it all. You knew this was going to be special at the beginning, where Vengerov spun the hushed theme in a silvery thread of tone that reduced the audience to rapt attention. From there on he explored the work's lyrical vistas with a degree of poetic refinement rare in one so young.

Some would question the very Russian throb Vengerov brought to the slow movement, a fast vibrato that robbed the highest-lying notes of a firm center. But I would excuse many more such "flaws" in the face of such sovereign aplomb, such unforced, varied tone, such deep musical understanding. If not the most inward or restrained Sibelius one has ever heard, it was certainly among the most exciting. And it was fully matched by Barenboim's sensitive yet strongly surging accompaniment.

The music director began his mostly Russian program with the first CSO performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Tsar Saltan" Suite and ended it with the more familiar Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony.

The conductor played up Rimsky's colorful scoring without slighting the textural clarity his fairy-tale pictorialism must possess if it is to make its full effect.

In his eagerness to point structural and dynamic contrasts in the opening movement of the symphony Barenboim pulled the music around, sinking to a hushed crawl only to drive the music into big, swooning crescendos of the most melodramatic sort.

His treatment of the remaining movements was less indulgent. Neat corporate teamwork by the woodwinds distinguished the Andantino, with Barenboim bringing extra bite and urgency to the pizzicato Scherzo. The fiery finale had the CSO brasses booming mightily from atop risers; the strings, alas, were barely audible. Such is Barenboim's way.

The program will be repeated Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoon.